One of my go to brown ales. 7$ for a sixer at Sprouts in Poway, Ca. Cant beat that price and this is a decent brew. MUCH better then the Newcastle that is being sold over here in the states these days, and cheaper too. A medium bodied mouthfeel with biscuty undertones balanced by malts and nutty accents. Basic, but really good and you cant beat the price.

We conducted a blind taste test with this beer and 5 other brown ales to objectively determine which one was best. The 5 beers were: Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, Lost Coast Downtown Brown, Big Sky Moose Drool, Newcastle Brown, and Wychwood Hobgoblin. You can view the video here:

Appearance: Good clarity. A very dark brown, but ruby highlights are highly visible when held to the light. A contrasting white head vanishes almost instantly.

Smell: Burnt mocha and overripe banana bread. Not terrible, but not very promising.

Taste: A remarkably clean aftertaste doesn't do this beer any flavors, as the roasted dark chocolate flavor seems to simply fall off a cliff with every sip. The overripe banana is also found in the taste, and somehow workks well with unexpected alcohol flavors, making something of a rum cake mixture.

Mouthfeel: Thin and watery, but with a bit of fizz.

Overall: Some interesting elements, but walks a strange, thin line between flavorful and flavorless that ultimately makes it forgettable.

Poured a nice caramel into glass, head wasn't too thick and didn't last very long. The color reminded me of something lighter than pepsi but around that hue. Light is able to penetrate through, which gives it a nice tint and isn't too dark.

Taste is interesting, it is not very bitter but it leaves your mouth wanting more. Mouthfeel is very nice, well medium bodied beer that goes down like water. I notice the taste isn't too prevalent, which is strange for a beer of its class. It is sweet, tons of caramel and finishes with a dry, hoppier finish.

The secret in this beer is the wonderful smell and I can't get enough of it.

This is my second lost coast beer, I thought it was a bit better than the other. I think its a good session beer. I could drink a few of these. Its not good enough to be satisfying if you are only going to have one. Its just doesn't have enough in any category.

Pours a clear but dark reddish brown, almost a dark copper color. Tan head doesn't have great retention but subsides evenly and leaves a little lacing.
Smell is the weakest aspect here because it is a bit faint. Notes of caramel, malt, a little cardboard. Good balance but not as complex as I expected.
Taste is better, notes of roasted malt, caramel, hops, cardboard, green apple or grapes (I can't tell), and nut. Nicely balanced with the expected complexity.
Medium body, near medium effervescence with just the right amount of tang/tingle to it. Easy to drink and not heavy at all. Good stuff.

T - Sweet and creamy malty taste. Very thick and almost syrupy (not in a bad way) mouthfeel. Sweetness and malts prevail. Very smooth going down with a nice warmth afterward. Great beer to drink in the fall or winter. Some say it's chocolatey but I didn't really taste it.

O - Very good brown ale. Almost as good as Avery's Ellie's brown ale. Good stuff and a great beer when you consider the price.

A- A deep brown, yet quite clear. Light shines through and showcases a nice light brown highlight. A dense light tan head rests on top, and retains well at a half finger. Just a little lacing hangs out.

S- A roasted nut aroma is at the forefront, with a semisweet chocolate lightly chiming in.

M- Medium, and faintly chewy, but has a nice clean finish, with a semi dry aftertaste.

O- It's nice and malty, but clean. Not oversweet, as well. This makes a good seasonal transition beer. Coming out of those strong dark winter beers, and hopping right on Pales and IPAs can be a bit shocking. This brew carries you gently into the spring.

S: I really like the smell. It's sweet, and smells mostly of roasted malts and caramel.

T: one of the better brown ales that I've tasted. While I wouldn't describe the taste as strong, there's a lot going on. It tastes a bit like a porter, the main tastes I can pull out are coffee, chocolate, and sweet roasted malt. At the very end of the sip, i taste a very faint hop flavor.

M: goes down nicely. Little carbonation and average consistency but bordering slightly on the thin side.

O: refreshing and tasty. I normally don't go for brown ales, so it's not one of my favorites, but still a solid beer.

Had this on tap at the local Yardhouse in Virginia Beach.
Deep brown with a good inch on head in a standard pint glass.
Picked up some earthy, nutty tones on the smell, not alot.
The flavors were malty with strong undertone of nuts. More nutty than I expected but not harsh or overpowering. This was the best beer of the day and I immediately sought it out at the local total wine for home consupmtion.

For some reason, Lost Coast Brewery, and in particular Downtown Brown, are readily available in 12-ounce bottles here, far across the Pacific, in South Korea! I don't know if there is some stipulation in the recently ratified FTA which aims to promote good beer, or if there is in fact a beer aficionado on some trade committee, but either way, those of us who are familiar with this blessing straight from Humboldt County, are grateful! I for one, have visited the brewery itself while riding my bicycle down the coast of California, so when I stumbled upon it in a corner mart in Seoul...well...I was beside myself!

Poured from its unforgettable bottle into an accompanying Lost Coast pint glass, the namesake color was obvious, with plenty of bubbles present as well, lining the glass with a almost cola-like appearance. Fear not though, this was no cola, but rather a breathable beer, which even after traveling across the globe, had seemingly not lost any of its freshness. Likewise, the smell had also not lost anything in translation, as the scent reminded me of the bays of Eureka, rather than the mountains of Korea.

Following then, the taste also drew me into much warmer climates, with regards to both body and S(e)oul, with hints of Hops which are unfortunately lacking in many of the Korean Lagers so prevalent in these parts. Dark but not heavy, Downtown Brown, as with all good beers, was able to transport me to a time and place far removed from my current set of local circumstances. A reliable go-to back home in Killa Cali., and now, for some blessed trade clause, here in South Korea too!

Presentation: 12 oz. brown bottle with no freshness date. Served in a Samuel Adams pint glass.

Appearance: Deep, dark caramel color. Develops a thick, two finger, tan colored head that fizzles out into a thin ring. Leaves some nice, patchy lacing.

Smell: Very faint, so it's hard to notice. Smells mainly of caramel and a little bit of malt.

Taste: Roasted chocolate and caramel notes are evident. The malt sweetness rounds things out and a hint of hop bitterness provides balance. There's a slight alcohol feel at the end.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, and easy to drink, feels a little thin, even. This might be surprising to a lot of people who expect a darker beer like this one to be stronger and fuller. It has some nice and crisp carbonation.

Overall: This is a very good brown ale, easy to drink and pleasant. It's simple in taste and smell, so it won't win any awards for being bold, dramatic and different. But sometimes you just want to drink something nice and easy. This is what this beer provides, and it does a really good job at it.

A finger of light tan head on a fairly clear brown colored body.
The aroma is chocolate, coffee and roasted malt. It smells like a porter.
The taste is mild bitterness, roasted malt, chocolate sweetness and finishes on a bitter note. A good profile.
The texture is crisp with a little cream. The carbonation is on the higher, fizzy side.
Overall a good brown ale.

I've had this beer before, but I can never remember the flavor. I am not usually a fan of this style, but it's been a while since I have had an English brown ale. Having been to England recently, maybe that will help me enjoy this beer more. Plus, it's a cool story. Two women founded this brewery, and one of them is the brewmaster. That, and this is one of the first beers she came up with. Oh, and I love the label. It's fun! A lot of breweries are trying to use crazy names and create interesting packaging for their beer. This one is simple, but a bright and fun label that was designed by a local artist. Local to Eureka, California, anyway.

Let's drink!

In the Glass: It is darker than I expected. Not black, but a nice thick rich brown color. The lace is weak, but the beer is appetizing. Maybe because I am thirsty, but it still looks delicious.

Nose: I could smell this as I was pouring it. The nose, without even sticking my nose in the glass, is powerful. When I do stick my nose in the glass, I am getting lots of chocolate and some nuttiness that the tasting notes mentioned. But I do get more chocolate than I expected. I just had a can of Sex Panther (LOVE the name) that is a double chocolate porter. I am getting more chocolate here than there.

Flavor: The flavor is really nice. I haven't had a brown ale in a while, but this one is solid. The flavor starts out somewhat sweet, nearing bittersweet. See… I am thinking chocolate again. Then the flavor profile changes completely as you swallow opening up all sorts of flavors. It is a little dry, that I didn't expect. I guess most English beers are dry… so I am not surprised. The aftertaste is really nice, too. But we will get to that.

Mouthfeel: At first, the mouthfeel is thin and boring. But as the beer slides across the tongue, bubbles start to dance and you are hit with a dry finish that lingers. The bubbles are nice, too. I don't normally like carbonation in my beer. But here, it works. It makes me think of a flavorful domestic at first, but then settles on the tongue and leaves you with a really nice nutty finish.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is great. It lingers on for a good three minutes. It's dry, and has a burnt chocolate flavor to it. For as cheap as this beer is, I would totally buy this again just to experience that aftertaste. The brewmaster made this beer to pair well with food. I can totally see where this would pair well with pork or beef. Well done, ladies!

Very delicious brown ale. Pours a dark coppery brown with a slight one finger creamy looking head. Smells of medium roasted malt with slight toffee and nutty notes. The first thing you get right off the bat is the nutty toffee flavor . Then you get the sweet malt and chocolate notes. Finishes with a very subtle pleasant bitterness

Overall a very good, above average brown ale. I would actually prefer this beer over newcastle. Definitely worth picking up and trying. One of my favorites. Cheers.

Appearance: Deep, dark, rich brown color with a bit of an amber hue. Large off-white head dissipates quickly and leaves some small spots of lace.

Smell: Caramel and molasses with honey and apple. Slight floral hint, a touch of chocolate.

Taste: Begins with caramel and fuity sweetness that turns into a touch of chocolate. Finish is largely sweet molasses with a hint of bitterness in the back of the throat to round everything out. Random notes of grain throughout as well.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with smooth carbonation and a sticky finish.

Overall: A nicely done, sweet and enjoyable brown ale. I'd have this again and may seek it out if I'm in the mood for something sweeter.

Pours a root beer color with a light tan thick bubbly head; tons of bubble action. Some patchy lace remains along with a lace layer that makes up the remaining head. Pretty good looks.

Brew smells of toffee, nuttiness and some lingering hops. Pretty good nose.

Brew tastes of cocoa, nutty, toffee, caramel and thinned out by some lively hops. Very good balance to session, thin enough to drink plenty of and has a abv where you could have several without knowing. Crisp initially and then smokey, mellow middle to a drying end. Good cocoa and nutty flavors stand out as you drink. Good stuff here. Good sessionable brown - solid.

Brew is a good sessionable brown that I am enjoying very much. Has nice flavor and is a good brew. Case worthy.